Jerome, 2nd Count de Salis

Jerome de Salis, FRS, 2nd Count de Salis-Soglio (1709-1794)

Monsieur le Comte de Salis

Also known as Hieronimus, Gerolamo, Geronimo, Harry, and Jerome the grandfather.

Jerome de Salis Esqr of London was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society 19 March 1741. His proposers were his wife's cousin Philip, 2nd Earl Stanhope (1714-1786); Martin Folkes (late President FRS); Andrew Mitchell (1708-1771); and his brother-in-law, Lord Sandwich.

He was British Resident, that is to say King George II's extraordinary envoy to the Grisons Leagues (now the canton of Graubunden, but then an independent republic). He arrived in Coire on April 10 1743 and resided there in a public character till 13 March 1750. He had residences both in Chur and in Chiavenna (which was at that time the Graubunden's subject territory). Whilst in Chiavenna he began to build a summer house up the valley at Bondo in the Bregalia (Bergell). This house was completed by his eldest surviving son, Peter.

Salis was born in Chur/Coire, the capital of the Grisons, on 8 July 1709 and was buried at Harlington, Middlesex on 18 August 1794.
He was the only surviving son of the envoy Colonel Peter de Salis-Soglio (1675-1749), by his wife Margherita (1678-1747) a daughter of Hercules de Salis-Soglio. Jerome had an elder sister Margaretha (1704-1765) who married a cousin and lived in Chur.

Salis's father, Peter (Pierre or Pietro l'Inviato), came to England as envoy of his ancestral homeland the Grison Republic (aka Graubunden/the Three Grison Leagues/Rhaetia/Grischuns) to the Court of St. James during the reign of Queen Anne. Through his various diplomatic and soldiering duties in France, the States General and England the father saw how green the grass was in London and having made some influential friends there returned home to Chur and resolved to send his son to Albion. The son was duely Naturalized by Private Act of Parliament (4 Geo II, cap. 5); the bill, the Naturalization of Hieronimus de Salis, was given Royal Assent, by the words Le Roy le veult, on Lady Day Eve, 24 March 1730/31.

On 7 January 1734/35 Jerome (Hieronimus) was married, by the Archbishop of York, at St. Margaret's, Westminster to the Hon. Mary Fane (ffane), eldest daughter of Charles, 1st Viscount Fane, by his wife Mary (1686-1762) daughter of the envoy hon. Alexander Stanhope (1638–1707), FRS, and sister of soldier-statesman James, 1st Earl Stanhope (1673-1721). Sir Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham and Sir Luke Schaub (sometime secretary to Lord Stanhope then to Lord Cobham) were trustees of the marriage settlement, and a cousin Lord Harrington (aka William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington) was a signatory.

Salis's wife, Mary Fane who was baptised 18 September 1710, died of hydropia (dropsy) 31 March 1785 at Isleworth, aged 74, and was buried at Harlington. Her brother, Charles, 2nd Viscount Fane, died without issue and his estates in Berkshire, Armagh and Limerick were inherited by her and her surviving sister Dorothy, who was wife to John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, Secretary of State, and popularizer of the eponymous snack. (Dried meat being something of a speciality of the Grisons it is possible that it was de Salis who introduced his brother-in-law, Lord Sandwich, to sandwiches).

From 1740-45 Salis is recorded as being the first occupier of the Grosvenor estate's 14 South Audley street (east side), a 34 foot frontage house with a rent of 13 pounds and 12 shillings. On returning from the Grisons, and its subject territory the Valtelline, in the late 1760s Jerome lived at the Cavendish square end of Harley Street. In the meantime his wife, Hon. Mary de Salis, lived in Knightsbridge, Margate, Marseilles, Harlington and finaly at Smallborough Green, Isleworth. They had four sons. Charles (1736-1781); the heir Peter, 3rd Count de Salis (1738-1807); William (1741-1750); and Rev. Dr. Henry Jerome de Salis (1740-1810).

The eldest son, Charles, after years of ill-health and living variously in Arles, Salon, Nimes and Hieres, died there and was buried in the Convent of the Cordeliers.
His mother frequently visited Provence to cure her own low-spirits and patronised the vapeurs theorist M. Pierre Pomme, Medecin consultant du Roi and Docteur en Medecine de l'Universite de Montpellier. She paid for his Traite des Affections Vaporeuses des deux sexes, 1767, to be translated into English, and arranged for William Sharp to engrave his portrait (the eventual outcome of this project is not yet clear).

By Patent dated Vienna 12 March 1748 Emperor Francis I created Jerome's father Peter, together with his descendants, a Count of the Holy Roman Empire in recognition of (translated):

'...his famous integrity & prudence whilst in the beginning of this century he gave repeated specimens of his diplomatic skill in his embassies to London and to the Hague, and afterwards being devoted to the most august House of Austria and the public welfare in the year 1741 he rendered vain and fruitless the pernicious project of the French to persude the Grisons to take their part, & furthermore during this whole time with the most faithful attachment gave himself up to the good cause; & furthermore that his son Jerome for several years minister of England in the Grisons was always attentive to cement the bond, of friendship between the Holy Roman Empire the House of Austria, & the King in whose service he was...' '...Being then fully confident that as well he the said Peter de Salis as well as his son Jerome will not omit an opportunity of distinguishing themselves and of deserving well of us, the Holy Roman Empire, and the most Serene House of Austria; we consider him worthy of giving him some testimony of Our special seal and favour, and of transmitting it to the latest posterity...' '...and to his descendants as above this privilege that in future they may be perpetually named called and distinguished by us, and by our successors in the Holy Roman Empire, Emperors and Kings, with the title of Illustrious and Magnificient, High and Well born,...'

_{On 4 April 1809 George III, by Royal License, granted and gave Salis's descendants, of both sexes, those who were Subjects of Our Realm, the right to fully avail themselves of the title of Count of the Holy Roman Empire. The right to use the name of Fane before that of de Salis was granted, by Royal License and Authority, on 11 December 1835.}

Salis family described by German Wiki.

Salis-Seewis (1762-1834), the minister and poet, Schweizer Dichter, of the Schloss Bothmar, Malans.

Rodolphe Salis (1851-1897), of Le Chat Noir on French Wiki.

• R. de Salis, Quadrennial di Fano Saliceorum, volume one, London, 2003
• Rachel Fane De Salis, De Salis Family : English Branch, Henley-on-Thames, 1934.
• other printed (History of Parliament, GEC, VCH)
• manuscripts & muniments.
• C. de Salis, secretary of the British Salis Family Association.